Government Contact Information for Opposition to Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal
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Congressmen and Senators, email recommended because security delays postal mail. Personalize your email, and identify yourself, so it’s not taken as automated or mass email. Phone calls work fine as well, as they count calls for or against an issue.
For Eagle & Summit County
Congressman Jared Polis
Email http://polis.house.gov
Boulder Office: 303-484-9596
Washington DC Office: 202-225-2161
For Garfield, Pitkin, Mesa, Delta and Gunnison Counties
Congressman John T Salazar
Email http://www.house.gov/salazar/contact.shtml
Grand Junction Office: 970-245-7107
Alamosa Office: 719-587-5105
Washington DC Office: 202-225-4761
Senator Mark Udall
Email http://markudall.senate.gov
Phone# 970-245-9553 Grand Junction
Senator Michael Bennet
Email http://bennet.senate.gov
Phone# 970-241-6631 Grand Junction
September 14, 2009
Re: Hidden Gems wilderness proposal
Dear County Commissioner,
I live in Gunnison County and recreate in the public lands of central Colorado, with trips in Pitkin, Eagle, Gunnison and Summit counties. I am writing in OPPOSITION to the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal.
We have enough legally designated Wilderness. I oppose all new legal Wilderness in Pitkin, Eagle, Gunnison and Summit counties. Why?
1. Backcountry land that is NOT legally designated Federal Wilderness is good for our economy because it is still managed for conservation by the U.S. Forest service, Colorado Department of Wildlife, county governments, land trusts and other entities. This in turn supports our fishing, incredible rafting and kayaking runs, horseback riding, hunting. mountain biking, 4-wheeling, automobile sight seeing, fixed anchor rock climbing, backcountry ski huts and other activities that are at the heart of our recreation and tourism industry.
Legally designated Federal Wilderness, on the other hand, outright bans some of the fastest growing and most popular forms of backcountry recreation and ammenities.
2. I feel that in particular, legal Wilderness unfairly and unnecessarily restricts legitimate and conservation friendly recreational activities such as mountain bicycle riding, rock climbing using fixed anchors, and the building and subsequent use of mountain huts for backcountry skiing.
3. One of the most wonderful modern uses of our Colorado backcountry is that of hut skiing using public cabins built via Special Use Permit on USFS non-Wilderness land. No building of any sort is allowed on Federal Wilderness land. Thus, making more Federal Wilderness blocks expansion of one of Colorado most wonderful winter backcountry activities. Talk about economics: The 10th Mountain Hut System clocks around 50,000 user nights a year! That is not a typo.
4. I am concerned about recreation opportunities for my children and future generations. If we continue to create legal Federal Wilderness, future generations will be blocked off from all but a few forms of backcountry recreation.
5. I feel strongly that our existing backcountry lands that are designated as Multiple Use by USFS Forest Management plans can easily be managed for conservation balanced with recreation — and even an appropriate amount of logging and mining.
Via the following links you can research the well thought out opposition to legal Wilderness that many Colorado backcountry land users have expressed.
http://www.wildsnow.com/2088/colorado-wilderness-mountain-bike/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=141446633656
Thanks for your time.
Schofielder
Basalt
CO 81621
